GIVE GRUNER A GO.
Jules explains what Gruner Veltliner (or "that other white wine") is all about.
FOOD MATCH
Gruner loves stong flavours and spice so try it with something like sticky pork belly bao buns with hoisin sauce and cucumber and spring onions. Or try prawn and chive dumplings with chilli oil and black vinegar.
Get recipeWINEMAKERS NOTES
Gruner Veltliner is a cool climate wine originally from Austria. Jules describes it as "the lovechild of Pinot Gris and Riesling!" One of the reasons that we’re making it is to stretch our wings, to see if there is life after Sauvignon Blanc. The initial results suggest that there might be.
AROMA & FLAVOUR
Ripe russet apples, pears and macadamia notes combine on the nose with just a hint of fennel and dill and a touch of white pepper. The palate boasts delicious flavours of apples, pears, macadamia, sesame and fennel. There is also a hint of Gruner’s signature white pepper flavour. This is a fine, concentrated wine with a lovely textural element from the wild fermented portion alongside crisp saline acidity and a long refreshing finish.
VINTAGE NOTES
Growers had to be alert and agile through the early 2022-23 growing season to protect vines and avoid the disease threatened by the regular rainfall. A month or so prior to harvest many in Marlborough were bracing themselves for a tricky harvest. And yet… As so often happens in Marlborough, Autumn weather saved the day. Marlborough dodged the tropical storms that devasted NZ’s North Island. Loose bunches kept the fruit dry and clean, and early concerns over disease did not eventuate. Healthy canopies kept the vines in good shape to ripen their grapes and develop delicious flavours in a harvest that was somewhat slower and later than usual. The condition of grapes arriving at the winery was truly fantastic. The slow ripening period had concentrated flavours which were ripe, layered and balanced by juicy acidity. Harvest went very smoothly, and Jules was able to breathe a sigh of relief, and then smile with anticipation as she tasted the wines in tank and barrel.
VINIFICATION
Our Grüner Veltliner grapes were 100% hand-harvested from a two small vineyard parcels in the Rarangi and Central Wairau sub-regions of Marlborough. The fruit was whole bunch pressed and the free-run juice was cold settled over 48 hours and then fermented cool and slow in a stainless steel tank to retain the vibrant aromatics. This approach contrasted with the handling of a second portion which was pressed directly into old French oak for a wild ferment followed by a full malolactic fermentation. Soon after fermentation the two components were blended together before being bottled and sealed with a screw cap to retain perfect freshness.
